What to Wear for a Lawyer Headshot (Suits, Colors, Ties)
Quick answer: a well-fitted navy or charcoal suit with a plain light shirt, and a tie if your practice is formal. It's the outfit clients expect, and it never looks dated.
Your headshot outfit sets the tone before a client reads a word of your bio. It should match how you show up for them: in court, in a meeting, on a call.
Here's how to choose, and what to leave in the closet.
Suit and tie, from a t-shirt selfie
Made with Headshotsly. The suit comes from the style picked, not from what was worn in the selfie, so you can try the formal look without dressing up.
Suit and tie, or not?
A dark suit and tie is the default for litigation, corporate law and most traditional firms. It reads as serious and prepared.
Going without a tie, in a suit or a blazer, suits firms with a relaxed style and practice areas where clients want warmth: family law, estate planning, immigration, startups. Look at your firm's website, or your competitors', and match the level most people there use.
The best colors
Navy and charcoal are the safest suit colors. They look professional, flatter most skin tones and don't compete with your face.
- Suit: navy, charcoal or dark gray
- Shirt or top: white, light blue or a soft neutral
- Tie: a solid color or a small, quiet pattern
- Background contrast: a dark suit stands out nicely against a law office, gray or light blue background
What to avoid
The goal is that nobody remembers your clothes, only that you looked like a good lawyer.
- Bold patterns, thin stripes and small checks, which can shimmer in photos
- Very bright ties or shirts
- Suits that don't fit well in the shoulders
- Shiny fabrics and big accessories
- Anything you wouldn't wear to meet a new client
Matching the rest of the firm
If your firm's website shows every lawyer in a suit and tie on the same background, follow that. A mismatched photo stands out on a team page. If the firm has no rule, a navy or charcoal suit on a plain background will sit well next to anyone.
Glasses, hair and grooming
Wear your glasses if you wear them at work. Keep hair tidy and grooming the way you'd go to court. The photo should look like you on a good day at the office.
Outfit by practice area
A rough guide, not a rule. The best signal is what respected lawyers in your field and city already wear in their photos.
- Litigation, corporate, finance and government work: suit and tie
- Real estate, tax and business law: suit, tie optional
- Family law, estate planning, immigration and employment: suit without tie or a blazer, for warmth
- Startup and tech law: blazer or suit without tie
- In-house counsel: match the company's own dress code, often a blazer
A quick outfit checklist
If every line is a yes, your outfit is ready.
- Would I wear this to meet a new client?
- Is the suit navy, charcoal or dark gray, and does it fit in the shoulders?
- Is the shirt plain and light, and the tie quiet?
- Does it match what the rest of my firm wears in their photos?
Try the looks before you choose
With Headshotsly you upload one selfie and pick an outfit: suit and tie, navy suit, charcoal suit or blazer. You can make each one on a law office, clean gray, light blue or modern office background and compare them side by side.
5 photos in 4K cost $0.99, one time, and you can mix outfits in one pack. Try one free first to check the likeness.
Frequently Asked Questions
Related Pages
See yourself in a suit, from one selfie
Try one free photo first, then pick the outfit that fits your practice.